Twice Baked Cheese & Chive Breakfast Soufflés

Serves	4
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	40 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 10 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Freezable, Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion	Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Thanksgiving, Valentines day
Region	French
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

These delightful little Twice Baked Cheese & Chive Breakfast Soufflés are easy to make and take the stress out of last minute cooking, as they can be made days in advance, and are also suitable for the freezer too. Perfect for a leisurely weekend breakfast or brunch, as well as a classy and elegant starter for any celebratory meal.

Ingredients

60g finely grated mature Cheddar cheese
60g soft goat's cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
225ml full fat milk
freshly grated nutmeg
4 or 5 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
25g butter
25g wholemeal self-raising flour
2 large eggs, separated
extra finely grated mature Cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese (for the second baking)
extra finely chopped fresh chives (to garnish)
salt and pepper to taste

Note

Directions

Step 1	Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4 and liberally grease 4 x 150ml ramekins with butter. Place the milk in a pan with the nutmeg, black peppercorns and bay leaf with some salt and bring to a gentle boil, then allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes; allow to infuse for 5 to 10 minutes and then strain the milk into a heatproof jug.
Step 2	Wipe the pan and add the butter, melt the butter over a medium heat and then add the flour, stiffing all the time to make a dry "roux"; add the milk bit by bit, mixing well after each spoonful and keep on adding the milk until it has all been used, stirring well all the time. Allow the sauce to thicken for 2 minutes over a low heat, and then remove it from the heat.
Step 3	Pour or spoon the sauce into a mixing bowl and add the egg yolks, cheese and the chopped chives - mix well.
Step 4	Now whisk the egg whites in a clean (and fat-free) bowl with a hand whisk until the soft peak stage. Take a large metal spoon and add some of the egg whites to the cheese and egg mixture to loosen it. Then add the remaining egg whites spoon by spoon, using a cutting and folding motion as to try to keep the air in the mixture.
Step 5	One all the egg whites have been used up, divide the mixture into the prepared ramekins, place the ramekins into a shallow roasting tray and place it in the oven on the middle shelf; add freshly boiled water to the tray so it comes up half way around the sides of the ramekins and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the soufflés are well risen and feel set in the centre.
Step 6	Remove them from the oven and allow to cool in the ramekins before storing them in the fridge, or freezing them, until you need to serve them. (You can keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days)
Step 7	To serve them: Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6 and butter or line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Step 8	Turn the soufflés out of the ramekins, so they sit the right way up, and scatter the finely grated cheeses over the top of them. Place them into the pre-heated oven on the middle shelf and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown, well risen and puffy.
Step 9	Remove them from the oven and serve immediately with finely chopped fresh chives as a garnish, and lightly buttered toast for breakfast, or with seasonal side salad and bread and butter for for a light luncheon dish or starter.